


I Viserys - A Viserys SI (ASOIAF/GOT)

by Basileus_Komnenos



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24428653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Basileus_Komnenos/pseuds/Basileus_Komnenos
Summary: Follow the tale about about a man from our world transplanted inside the body of Viserys Targaryen, the Beggar King himself. Viserys as the rightful, but titular King in Westeros now must strive to restore his dynasty to power. Will he restore the glory of House Targaryen, or will his actions signal the final death throes of a fallen house relegated to the wastebin of history?
Comments: 10
Kudos: 22





	1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE: THE FALL OF HOUSE TARGARYEN  
**

****

**280 AC: ROBERT'S REBELLION  
  
**To begin studying the rise and reign of Emperor Viserys "The Great" one must go back to the past during Robert's Rebellion. As every schoolchild will tell you, good king Aerys "The Just" was deposed by the unruly nobles in a large conspiracy that manifested itself as Robert's Rebellion. They slandered the king with the nickname "The Mad King" after murdering his daughter-in-law Princess Elia and his grandchildren Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaenys in cold blood. The rebel forces would have captured and brutally murdered Prince Viserys and the infant Princess Daenerys as well had it not been for the valor of Ser Willem Darry and his fellow Targaryen loyalists. Though the names of these heroes are lost to time their bravery and patriotism haven't been forgotten.

The seeds of the rebellion first began many years ago with the various Lords of the realm conspiring against the crown after the subsequent loss of the Targaryen Dragons. This left the Crown in a very weakened position where it was now dependent on the goodwill of its vassal lords for governance of the realm. While this wasn't apparent at first, events such as the various Blackfyre Rebellions did much to erode the Crown's remaining powers. This was formalized under the reign of King Aegon V whose charter granted more rights and legal protections to the smallfolk. However many nobles opposed it and in many parts of the country, the law was not enforced and was ultimately was repealed by the Hand of the King Tywin Lannister under King Aerys II. To rectify this problem king Aegon V tried in vain to rebirth the Dragons using the last of the Targaryen eggs at Summerhall, but this ended in disaster for the Targaryens. However other historians like that of Archmaester Marwyn the Mage suggest that the fire and the loss of the Targaryen Dragons was the result of a Grand Conspiracy by the Maesters and noble houses after the Dance to eliminate all magic and to prevent the Targaryens from taking the nobles' power. Though there is no real evidence to prove this, the idea of a conspiracy is repeated frequently enough in other texts to give this some credibility. The actions of Emperor Viserys after he took the throne seem to suggest that he believed this. After all why else would he break the power of the old nobles so thoroughly in what he dubbed the "feudal order" with his re-organization of the realm and his infamous Storming of the Citadel?  
  
The actual genesis of the rebellion began at the infamous Tourney of Harrenhall. Various nobles under prince Rhaegar "the fool" planned to form an informal Great Council to overthrow good King Aerys II. Tywin Lannister the king's former friend was consumed by ambition and seeked to put a puppet on the throne through Rhaegar, and sought to marry his daughter Cersei to him. This way he could rule via proxy through his grandchildren and shape the realm as he wished. Meanwhile the Tullys, the Baratheon, and Arynns all formed a coalition of their own which was strong enough to oppose the Crown's laws, or even depose the king as what happened during Robert's Rebellion. Thanks to the efforts of Varys the Eunuch, the Master of Whisperers at the time, King Aerys foiled their plot by making a surprise appearance at the Tourney. To make matters worse Prince Rhaegar the fool that he was, crowned Lyanna Stark his Queen of Love and Beauty shaming his wife Elia Martell. He then gallivanted off with her for a year while the realm burned from the resulting civil war and anarchy.  
  
Though one must be wary of reading the sources produced during the Ususper's during the interregnum when the throne was vacant. Those stories often portray King Aerys as a madman prone to emotional outburst and wildly unrealistic grand plans that he grew disinterested in. This was wholly untrue and has been debunked as propaganda by which the Usurper wanted to legitimize himself. Aerys's subsequent justification for the execution of the traitor Lords Rickard and Brandon Stark is valid as Bradon Stark was seen publicly storming the capital with an armed force searching and openly professing his intent to murder the Crown Prince. One must also note that Emperor Viserys' later building projects such as The Great Canal, The Dornish Aqueducts, and the Renovation of King's Landing were all ideas whose origin was from King Aerys' unrealized plans that were blocked by the traitor Tywin Lannister and cut short by his assasination at the hands of rebel forces in 281 AC.

The last hope for the Targaryen loyalists was crushed when Crown Prince Rhaegar was slain by the usurper Robert Baratheon. In a fury he caved in Rhaegar's chest with his war-hammer and upon seeing their leader slain, the Royal Army lost their morale and its forces were scattered and defeated. This left the capital undefended and wide open for the Baratheon forces. Although Prince Viserys and the pregnant Queen Rhaella were quickly whisked to Dragonstone, King Aerys kept Aegon and Elia by his side in a desperate attempt to rally whatever support he could from Dorne to save his throne and his House. Tywin Lannister host arrived at the gates of the city feigning loyalty. And Aerys desperate for a solution opened the gates to a man he called his friend for decades who repayed that trust and all those years of royal patronage by sacking the King's City and allying with his enemies.

Many years after the sack and the Targaryen Restoration, Emperor Viserys's men discovered old containers of wildfire beneath the city. Those hostile to the Targaryens use this as evidence to slander King Aerys II referencing the false Knight Jaime Lannister's account detailing how King Aerys' supposed plans to burn the city with everyone in it to spite the Usurper Robert Baratheon. This again should be rejected as Ser Jaime is The Kingslayer who killed the King he was sworn to protect, and stood idly by while Princess Elia and her children were butchered by the Mountain and Amory Lorch. This same man is also the one who in his unholy coupling with Cersei Lannister his sister, sired Joffrey Waters whose tyranny unleashed a second Civil War that left the realm in such a ruin that it took near two decades for the realm to recover. The general academic consensus on the Wildfire of Kings Landing was planted by King Aerys so that he could enact a scorched earth campaign. Aerys plan most likely included evacuating his loyal out of the city through Maegor's secret passageways under the city to find refuge in the countryside while Aerys could gather his court, his large treasury, and the Royal fleet and flee to Dorne to rally support from Prince Doran and the Tyrells. Later investigations by his majesty have confirmed this theory as many of the older caches of wildfire were beneath key bits of infrastructure in the city while the more recent caches near city population centers were commissioned by the Tyrant Lady Cersei Lannister. King Aerys most likely intended to use these controlled fires to buy time for him and his subjects to escape while the rebels are bogged down. But alas the King was betrayed leaving Prince Viserys and Queen Rhaella alone.

Once the rebel fleet landed the Royal Garrison defected and Prince Viserys was forced to flee with his infant sister to Braavos where he lived in virtual poverty looking after his sister while avoiding the Usurper's assassins. When they sought refuge among the "Daughters of the Valyria" they were kept as curiosities or were openly mocked as being a Beggar King and Queen. In fact after Princess Daenerys was married off to a Dothraki horselord many assumed that the sun had finally set on the Targaryens. In fact the sheer circumstances of their return to power would have been unbelievable to Aegon the Conqueror himself at the time, but as history shows us the the Targaryens returned with a vengeance crushing all those who dared challenge and slight the Dragon with fire and blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers,  
> Welcome to my other ASOIAF fic I Viserys. This is my other Targaryen Self Insert fic with the other being Let Madness Reign. I'm cross-posting this fic here from other sites like FFN, AH, and SV.
> 
> The structure of the prologue is written as through as it were a historical timeline. This fic originally started off as a historical timeline after the fact. The structure of this prologue is written from the perspective of a Targaryen revisionist historian. Though this timeline was scrapped and was reconstituted as this fic which I found more fun to write as its in a more narrative fashion.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy reading this. Please feel free to comment below; I'd love to hear your thoughts on this fic.
> 
> Regards,  
> @Basileus_Komnenos


	2. Chapter I

**I VISERYS (ASOIAF GOT)-A Viserys SI**

  
**2019 Anno Domini**  
  
  
It had been a long day and I was waiting for a train to go home after my classes for the semester were over. I had just finished my final exams and I couldn’t wait to start my summer. As I was musing over my plans for my vacation, a strange man in a black suit approached me.  
  
  
“Excuse me sir my name is Rob, and I would like the chance to offer you a…”  
  
“Sorry but I’m not interested in anything you’re selling,” I said curtly. Now I admit I sounded a bit rude but I wasn’t in the mood to speak to anyone at the moment since I was exhausted from all my finals I had taken.  
  
“Oh that’s alright sir thank you for your time,” the man said politely. Despite his polite mannerisms alarm bells were going off in my head about this man so I decided to move away to a new seat. And just as I was about to put my stuff down, I saw a little boy about to fall onto the train tracks in pursuit of his runaway ball. I quickly rushed and grabbed him pulling him away to safety when the boy suddenly turned his head towards me with a cruel smile on his face. The next thing I knew the man in the black suit pushed me in front of the oncoming train.  
  
  
I woke up with my arms and legs strapped onto some sort of contraption. I assumed I was on some sort of gurney in an operating theater. Perhaps I might I might just make it out of-  
  
“I’m sorry sir but that’s not what’s going to happen to you today my good sir,” a strangely familiar voice said to me.  
  
  
Thankfully I was able to move my head, and I turned it and my eyes widened in fear for it was the man in the black suit in front of me. This serial killer is likely here to finish the job. I began screaming for a nurse and a doctor to come in and save me, but the man simply laughed and slapped me across the face.  
  
  
“You idiot. I can’t kill you since you’re already dead,” the man said as if it made perfect sense.  
  
  
“That’s not possible. I’m here in a hospital strapped to a gurney,” I say in disbelief.  
  
  
“This isn’t a hospital kiddo, and you’re not on a gurney,” he said as he brought out a mirror to show me the truth.  
  
  
My jaw dropped. I was strapped to some kind of machine with all sorts of weird cogs and electrical mechanisms that I couldn’t really figure out the purpose of. The chrome paint job and weird art/deco style of the machinery made it seem like it belongs in a Men in Black Movie. …  
  
  
“I’m not here to kill you. I’m actually here to offer you a proposition,” the man in the black suit said.  
  
  
“Wha..What is it?” I stuttered, terrified.  
  
  
“You’re familiar with the multiverse theory and how the different choices people make spawn an alternate universes depending on which choice they made right?”  
  
  
“Why yes of course,” I said not knowing where he was going with this.  
  
  
“Well as it turns out a similar phenomenon happens with works of fiction. You see the more popular works, once they reach a critical mass of readership, weird things happen. The cognitive power behind many of these popular works produces various fanfictions, artwork, and adaptations which mess with the regular operation of the universe.”  
  
  
“But that makes no sense!” I yelled.  
  
  
“It’s something that can’t be understood by the puny mind of a simple human like yourself. So I’ll try and dumb it down as best as I can.”  
  
  
“We let off this pressure allowing for a self-contained universe to emerge based on this work of fiction. But the problem with this is that sometimes the undesired outcome emerges and since this universe is technically under my jurisdiction, I’m responsible for them. If anything goes wrong I don’t want to make the Big G-man upstairs angry if you catch my drift.”  
  
  
“But how does this involve me!?”  
  
  
“Well you see when things in these universes go awry we often select fans of the work who are knowledgeable about the event to try and fix it” he said.  
  
  
“This doesn’t mean what I think it does right?” I implored Rob.  
  
  
“Unfortunately it does,” the man said. “You see as an R-O-B which is short for Random Omnipotent Being, I have been delegated power to select humans who are bound for death and offer them a second chance especially if they are familiar with the source material of the new fiction based universe.”  
  
  
“But I was not bound for death!” I yelled at the man. “I had a life full of friends and family, and you ended that when pushed me onto the train tracks asshole!”  
  
  
The ROB then cast his eyes downwards and said, “Actually your fate was sealed since that train was set to travel along a weak overpass that was set to collapse killing all on board. By pushing you I was able to save all those people and gained a viable candidate to be self-inserted into the new world. Of course if you don’t want to do this then I can of course send you straight up to the big G-man upstairs for judgment. Of course if you take my offer you start off with a clean slate."  
  
  
I thought about this for a moment. If the phrase “G-man” means who I think it does, then I’m not ready to face him. The idea of meeting my maker utterly terrified me and so I said, “I’ll take your offer ROB.”  
  
He simply smirked and said, “they always do. Now we have a little time left so I can answer a few of your questions."  
  
  
"Can you tell me what fictional universe I'm going to?" I asked.  
  
"Sorry dude" ROB said.  
  
"Is there any hints you can give me?"  
  
“Beware of the raven, the spider and the mummer” he said as my vision faded to black.  
  
  


* * *

**Viserys I**

  
**297 AC Illyrio’s Manse, Pentos**  
  
  
My head was throbbing throbbed with pain. I opened my eyes only to find that I wasn’t in my room nor was in my own house. Upon closer inspection I realized that the bed wasn’t my own. My blankets were nice but they were not made of silk. Especially something as lavish as this, decorated with what I presumed to be Dragons. In fact much of the furniture in this room was quite ornate and Dragon themed. I was getting creeped out by this, as none of these items in my room was what I recognized. In fact there were no modern appliances, outlets or electrical system of any kind.Where was my family and are they alright? I was panicking but froze when I saw my reflection on the mirror. This was not my body! Furthermore I did not have pale skin nor did I have silver hair or purple eyes! In fact if I didn’t know any better I’d say I looked like a Targaryen. But this was impossible. This must all be part of some weird drug fueled hallucination as a part of being high of medication in a hospital. And soon I’ll awaken and get back to the real world. That whole incident with that ROB was just a figment of my imagination.  
  
  
All of a sudden I heard some sort of door open, and a young girl who had the same silver hair and purple eyes as me came running towards me.  
  
  
“Stay b..back whoever y…you are!” I croaked. Dear God my voice is British. Why the hell is my voice British. I’m an American dang it!  
  
  
The girl then hugged me and started crying saying, “it’s all my fault Viserys!”  
  
  
Did she just call me Viserys!? No it can’t be true. There’s no way that I am a freaking Targaryen! But that’s the only thing that made sense. The Dragon imagery and heraldry everywhere, the silver hair, and purple eyes were a dead giveaway for a Targaryen. Oh why in God’s green earth am I in Westeros. But that girl called me Viserys. The only other person who fits this description is the Beggar King. If I am who I think I am then that means that this girl here is Daenerys Targaryen. Then I saw images of molten gold being poured on my head. A voice said menacingly “a crown for a King,” and I screamed as darkness overtook me.  
  



	3. Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter of I Viserys. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Please feel free to comment below.

**Viserys II**

**297 AC**

**Illyrio's Manse, Pentos**

  
When I finally regained consciousness I found myself back in my chambers. Only this time this large fat man who I could only presume to be Illyrio Mopatis standing over me.  
  
“Your Grace thank goodness you are alright,” the fat man said.  
  
Of course he felt that way. I am but an instrumental pawn in his and Varys’s plan. Varys that traitorous cur! My blood boiled when I thought about him. The fat man manipulated our father encouraging his worst impulses. He even sent assassins after me and poor Daenerys. Now I am in mortal danger as enemies surround myself and my sister on all sides.  
  
I was interrupted from my thought by Ilyrio when he said, “Your grace can you hear me? You haven’t spoken a word.”  
  
“I am fine. I was simply gathering my bearings” I responded curtly. I should limit how much I say from now on to avoid revealing my thoughts to the crafty Magister.  
  
“How long was I unconscious Magister Illyrio?” I asked him.  
  
“You were unconscious for about two days,” said the corpulent man.  
  
“And what of my sister? Where is she?” I asked him.  
  
He smiled showing his disgusting crooked and yellow teeth and said, “we had to keep her away from your chambers Your Grace. She was utterly catatonic and refused all food and drink. We had to give her son Essence of Nightshade to calm her down.”  
  
That fat man drugged her! My blood boiled at the thought of this barbarian mistreating her. I wanted to reach out and strangle him, but unfortunately he is necessary to my survival right now so I cannot harm him. Even if I wanted to do so, I am in no condition to do so. My emaciated form after years of starvation, rendered me weak. I need to change this if I am to take back my rightful throne the usurper and avenge my family.  
  
“When will she awaken?” I asked him.  
  
“She should be awake by now,” he replied.  
  
“Good. Please let her know that I request her presence dear friend Illyrio.”  
  
“Of course Your Grace,” said Illyrio who then gestured to a servant. “Now is there anything else I can offer you.”  
  
“No nothing else will be necessary I said with a smile on my face while seething inside.” “I thank you for the generosity you have shown to my House. But I require some more time to rest and gather my thoughts in silence.”  
  
“Of course Your Grace. I wish upon you good health and a speedy recovery from this illness,” said Illyrio smiling as he left the room.  
  
My mind is still scrambled in various places with certain parts of my memory unclear. For example I don’t remember the events of the last few days. Based on the fragments I was able to decipher that I was in some sort of argument with Daenerys before I apparently had screamed and collapsed onto the floor. This must have been as a result of the self-insertion. The funny thing is that my memories of my past life were still intact. Though I emerged dominant it seems like the old Viserys is gone completely. Actually gone is an incorrect word. It’s more like he merged with me. Plus I inherited his princely demeanor, his memories, and his “Targaryeness.” Though I hope that when this mess in my head is sorted out, I don’t lose my own memories or become insane like Viserys did.  
  
My mind then shifted to Daenerys. My God did I feel guilty for how I treated her. Based on an analysis of the old Viserys’s memories, I saw how his temperament toward his sister gradually changed from reluctant affection to contempt and anger. This can be used to chart out how Viserys was slowly driven to madness over time. Viserys was much like Aerys when it came to madness. Neither were born insane. They were driven to insanity by circumstance rather than by birth. Aerys was tortured and brutalized at Duskendale. Viserys’s transformation was slow and crushing. Based on his memories, his whole world came crashing down after his mother died in childbirth. The Usurper Robert Baratheon took everything from him. His father who was always kind towards him was murdered by the Lannisters along with his niece and nephew. His aunt was raped by Clegane: the man Rhaegar knighted and was split in half with his Greatsword. His allies in Westeros abandoned him while the loyal and heroic knight Ser Willem Darry whisked them away from their near certain doom. Had they been caught by the Usurper’s Brother I along with poor Daenerys would have had our brains flattened by Robert’s Warhammer. The same one that killed Rhaegar.  
  
Oh how my rage grew when I thought of my fool of a brother: the arrogant fool who doomed our House. Oh how I hated him! Viserys in his memories remembered him fondly, but now thanks to my meta knowledge of cannon, I now see him for the fraud he was. He plotted to overthrow father the rightful King which would have established a precedent in Westeros of sons being able to usurp their fathers. Rhaegar also disappeared for a year with his whore or mistress I don’t know what to call her. Because of his folly mother and I were helpless in the face of our family’s impending doom.  
  
Thanks to our disloyal allies in Westeros the Rebellion spread when it could have been contained. The Tyrells hedged their bets and besieged Storm’s End instead of hunting down Robert or aiding my brother. They then bent the knee as did the other so called Targaryen loyalists. Illyrio has been feeding me lies about the people of Westeros. Oh they were sweet and pleasant to the ear. Because gullible and vulnerable idiot I believed that hogwash. After being born a prince and then being forced from my home, the idea of peasants and lords clandestinely weaving cloth banners and stocking weapons to welcome their rightful King was very appealing to me. Now thanks to these memories I know the truth and perhaps have a fighting chance at saving House Targaryen and maybe even exceeding my illustrious ancestors.  
  
Though in regards to Illyrio, I better watch what I say in front of him. I feel it’s best to keep the façade of the arrogant idiot. I also need to watch what I say in public as to get the fat man to talk. As intelligent as he may be, the man also is as proud as he is corpulent. Some flattery might get me to reveal some of his plans to me and allow me to plan out my next move.  
  
I was interrupted from my thoughts by the door opening. I turned to see who it was and it was Daenerys. She then ran and bear hugged me and started crying.  
  
“Viserys I’m so sorry for what I did,” she said while sobbing.  
  
I truly felt pity upon her. The sight of this adorable little crying broke my heart as I felt guilty for all the things the old Viserys did to her. The abuse and mistreatment she suffered at the hands of her brother has likely left her exhibiting something akin to Stockholm Syndrome. So I simply hugged her back and said, “whatever happened was not your fault. If anything what happened was likely divine punishment for me being such a terrible brother.”  
  
“But Viserys you sheltered me and took care of me it was my fault for trying to wake the Dragon,” she said.  
  
I inwardly cringed. She had internalized all the abuse she suffered and now blames herself. I basically have a similar dynamic with Daenerys that father had with mother. Damn! I am a disgrace to the Targaryen name. “That whole idea of waking the Dragon is utter nonsense. It is likely that God punished me for being such a horrid brother to you by taking out all my frustrations upon you” I said to Daenerys. Daenerys froze and looked at me with a mixture of shock and confusion upon her face.  
  
I simply continued and said, “when you were born due to the lack of proper facilities and midwives mother had undergone a harsh delivery which caused her to die of blood loss. Her dying wish and last words to me were that I protect you. But the truth was that I was just a scared and confused child. I did not know what to do and I was always on edge as the Usurper’s assassins were one step behind us. When I appealed to others for help in restoring House Targaryen I was laughed at. People mockingly called me the Beggar King, and those who accepted us did so out of curiosity. And this broke me. You were kind and intelligent just like mother and seeing this I grew angry that mother died and blamed you for it.”  
  
I then hugged Daenerys and said, “can you ever forgive your fool of a brother?”  
  
She simply smiled and said “of course I do Viserys. You are my Big Brother and I love you.”  
  
"Well that's good to hear," I said. I then ordered a servant to prepare a meal for Daenerys as she hadn't eaten in a while.


	4. Chapter III

**Daenerys I**

  
**297 AC Targaryen Manse, Pentos**  
  
  
Daenerys was simultaneously befuddled and delighted by her brother's change in demeanor. Where he had once been cold and indifferent to her he was kind and caring. Her brother also devoted far more attention to her which she enjoyed. It was as though her brother was returning to his old self again before Ser Wilem Darry died and they were both thrown onto the streets. Her brother's anger and callousness towards became apparent after they were forced on to the streets. Based on her memories about Viserys, the change in her brother was not spontaneous but more gradual in development as their circumstances worsened. The true breaking point was when Viserys sold their mother's Crown for food and lodging. She remembered how beautiful and ornately decorated the Crown was. She remembered how the man her brother sold it to, gave Viserys a price far lower than what was appropriate. She remembered how Viserys tried arguing and haggling with the Goldsmith, but the man laughed at her brother. He gave Viserys a tiny bag filled with some gold coins and said that it was the proper price for a Beggar King. She remembered Viserys's eyes filled with tears and his expression filled with that of both rage and sadness. Danerys remembered how Viserys worsened the more desperate he became. He tried appealing to nobles of the other Free Cities seeking refuge and support to retake his rightful Crown from the Usurper. She remembered how the nobles laughed at her brother and how they called him things like the Beggar King or the Pauper Prince. Viserys would launch into fits of rage and angry tirades that saw them thrown out of the palace or manse in which they were staying residing. As the money from their mother's crown dried up, Viserys became more desperate to survive. He grew bitter and enrage and that's when her brother started hitting her and calling her names. But Daenerys didn't blame her brother for all of this. Viserys after all was once kind and saved them both from the Usurper's assassins. She watched her brother crushed by the cruelty of the world in his efforts to protect them and save their House. It was the Usurper that brought them to these lows and she vowed that someday she would make him pay with Fire and Blood.  
  
  
 **Viserys's Personal Study**  
  
  
Daenerys found her brother reading more and more frequently which was a radical change in his behavior. Viserys who once detested books and often tried to avoid his tutors. She remembered how he used to boast that once he took his throne he would rule as a Dragon that was the only teacher he needed. But Viserys had changed completely. He began reading subject ranging from law to mathematics. Based on the text some of it was written in High Valyrian. The tutors Magiste Illyrio provided were dumbfounded by his sudden interest in academic pursuits. Daenerys remembered the look of surprise on Illyrio’s face when Viserys asked him for more books.  
  
  
Currently her brother was sitting hunched over a table taking notes on what appeared to be a very old manuscript of sorts. And as she entered her brother’s study he said, “Is that you Daenerys?”  
  
  
“It is brother. What are you are you reading about this time Viserys?” she asked him.  
  
  
“I am reading a treatise on Valyrian law dear sister,” said Viserys. “Although its old an incomplete it’s one of the few remaining texts about Valyrian law in Pentos. Though this is more of a summary. The original volume was likely lost during the Century of Blood or the Doom itself.”  
  
  
“But why are you studying this? You are the King of Westeros are you not, shouldn’t you be studying the laws of Westeros?” said Daenerys.  
  
  
“Westerosi law is inconsistent and hardly developed compared to Valyrian law. Plus whatever law the King decrees is not necessarily enforced. It all depends on the local Lord wishing to enforce it,” Viserys said.  
  
  
“But the King’s word is law isn’t it?” Danerys asked.  
  
  
“That’s what everyone says Dany. But think, through whom does a King rule through? Who must he rely on to carry out his commands?” Viserys asked her.  
  
  
She thought for a moment and said, “he rules through his Lords….who rules through his other minor Lords and lesser vassals right.”  
  
  
“Good you’re grasping this fairly quickly,” said Viserys. Daenerys noted that her brother seemed to be asking her these sorts of questions more frequently now. The way he spoke about certain subjects made it seem like he had greater knowledge than her tutors. "No doubt it was those Valyrian books and scrolls that her brother started devouring" she remarked to herself.  
  
  
“Dany are you listening to what I am saying?” Viserys asked her.  
  
  
“Yes I am,” said Daenerys. She was likely in for a lecture now.  
  
  
Viserys raised an eyebrow and said, “really then what was it that I was talking about.”  
  
  
Daenerys hesitated and said, “Um…You were saying something….something about Kings and Lords right?” Viserys would see through this and she was likely in for a stern lecture she thought to herself.  
  
  
Viserys shook his head and sighed saying, “Dany learning about ruling is important now please focus. I must teach you as much as I can with the limited resources and time available to us. It was only by chance that we arrived here in Pentos under the care of Magister Illyrio. If any further misfortune were to fall upon us we could be back on the streets again and I would not be able to teach you how to be a proper Princess like mother and father would have wanted."  
  
  
Daenerys nodded and said,"I am sorry brother for not paying attention."  
  
  
“Now where was I? Oh yes. A King rules through his vassal Lords who enact his decrees," said Viserys. "But now let me ask you another question sister. If the King’s command or decree is simply ignored by his vassal Lord what is he to do?”  
  
  
“That’s simple. The King has his rebellious lord arrested for disobeying him,” said Daenerys.  
  
  
“And how would the King arrest him?” Viserys asked her. “With what army or means does he arrest the rebellious nobles?”  
  
  
“That’s simple,” said Daenerys. The King summons all his loyal Knights of the Realm and marches on the rebel Lords’ strongholds.”  
  
  
“But the King has a smaller demesne than all his subjects,” said Viserys. “His other subjects are more powerful than him. Why would they support the King since if he’s successful it means that there’s a reduction in their powers.”  
  
  
“He can’t” said Daenerys. “The King can’t hope to win against his more powerful vassals for they would band against him. If this is what happens what’s the point of having a King Viserys if he cannot count on the loyalty and obedience of his vassals.”  
  
  
“The King is dependent on the goodwill of his vassals. Sometimes this entails that the King entail massive concessions in to form of financial or legal privileges,” said Viserys.  
  
  
Dany was frustrated. How were they supposed to take their throne now? According to Viserys the supposedly loyal House of Tyrell and Martell abandoned them in favor of the usurper. “If a King cannot enforce his laws how can he benefit his subjects,” she thought to herself.  
  
  
“I see that you are confused,” Viserys said to her. “It is only natural that you feel this way. After all this was the dilemma our ancestors faced after the loss of their Dragons. It was an issue that many Kings had to deal with as their royal authority and powers declined. The King only rules through the goodwill of his nobles, and if he deviates from their interests then the nobles would rise in revolt.”  
  
  
“This was what happened to father didn’t it?” Danerys said in realization.  
  
  
Viserys’s face darkened, and he said “Unfortunately father tried to rule as a just King working on behalf of all his subjects be they highborn or commoner. They killed him for it. The powerful nobles like Tywin Lannister wanted an amiable puppet that they could rule through while they schemed. This was what Tywin Lannister tried to do with our father. Whenever Father suggested projects like a canal for Dorne, Tywin shot him down and belittled him. The impudent Lannister even claimed credit for honors and praise that should have gone to the Crown. When he refused to go down as a figure the treacherous lion’s spawn Jamie Lannister ran him through with his sword.”  
  
  
Daenerys only felt rage at the moment. All these years she had heard Viserys ramble about how the Usurper stole their throne and how he would get it back. She had never know the scale of the rebellion and the conspiracies against her father until now. All those years she and her brother wandered the streets as paupers. All because some noblemen conspired against their house. She truly felt sorry for her father as she imagined him walking about the Capital in despair as the Kingdom went up in flames and news of Rhaegar’s death reached him.  
  
  
Her mind then drifted to that of Illyrio. The fat Magister acted kind and genial towards her and always talked about helping them take back their throne. “But how was he different from all the other Magisters of the Free Cities who had taken them in?” Daenerys asked herself. They too promised to help them retake their homeland. At the moment, she and her brother had no real allies or connections to anyone here in this foreign land. She started musing about why Illyrio had taken them when no one else would. The only conclusion she could reach was that he likely planned to use them for some sort of political objective, and since she and Viserys had no allies or supporters in Pentos, they would at his mercy. Danerys then vowed to herself that she would no longer be naïve as she had once been before for her own sake and for that of House Targaryen for she was a Dragon and all who dare challenge it will do so at their own peril.  
  
  


**Illyrio I**

  
  
  
**Illyrio’s Manse, Pentos**  
  
  
  
Illyrio was deeply concerned about the current changes in Viserys. It seems the boy was far more competent than he had given him credit for. But up until a few weeks ago, he seemed dull and pliable. Illyrio would often be able to cajole him with sweet words about how the people of Westeros were secretly waiting for his return. This was an obvious lie as all the supposed Targaryen Loyalists had already sworn fealty to the Usurper. Where Viserys was once responsive to his flattery, he barely reacted to them. What was most surprising was the fact that Viserys started asking him for access to his library and for books to read. From what he heard from the young Targaryen’s tutor’s Viserys gained a newfound appreciation for learning. The boy who was once deficient in his studies now soaked up information as a sponge. When asked about it he simply said “a good king must be sharp of mind, and a mind needs books like a sword needs whetstones.”  
  
  
The boy had even started training as well. Though Illyrio had to admit that the child was quite a poor swordsman. Though that didn’t stop the Targaryen Prince as he started to awaken at the crack to dawn to train with the sword. The boy had even managed to convince him to recruit a Volantine sellsword named Titus Pullo to help him train. The man certainly was worth the investment as the young prince rose from a lackluster swordsman to that of a middling swordsman.  
  
  
While Illyrio appreciate the change in Viserys’s character it also worried him deeply. Since the boy was not as pliable as he had hoped, he feared that he would become an obstacle to young Aegon’s ascension to power. And while the Prince sometimes put on airs of haughtiness and conceit, Illyrio had noticed the focus within his eyes. Should Viserys continue on his current path he could perhaps become an instrument in helping Aegon take the Iron Throne. Ilyrio needed to write to Varys about this. His old friend was always more cunning than he was. Perhaps he could think of a solution to resolve this issue.


	5. Chapter IV

**Viserys III**

  
**297 AC**

**Targaryen Manse Training Grounds, Pentos**  
  
  
“Damn this sellsword” I thought to myself. I couldn't even land a hit on him. My swordplay is utter garbage, and this skinny and emaciated bag of bones that is my new body does not really have the strength or dexterity to really pull off any major sword fighting techniques.  
  
  
“Attack!” Pullo said to me, and I charged at him with my sparring sword. He of course easily parried my strikes.  
  
  
“Now defend!” he said to me, and I raised my blade to block his attacks. I found that I was quite proficient at swordplay when I was defending against an opponent. I found that it was as easier to react to the enemy’s attacks and using his momentum to properly parry his attacks. Though this would not do me much good if were on the battlefield against someone like Robert Baratheon holding a Warhammer or a mace. I wondered what was going in my brother’s head when he went to face Robert with a sword. The Usurper was outfitted in full plate armor and held a massive Warhammer. Even a lowly squire can tell you that only swords made of Valyrian steel can penetrate plate armor. Unfortunately our Valyrian steel was lost to us. Daeron I lost the Conqueror’s Valyrian steel Crown in Dorne, the Blackfyres stashed Blackfyre God knows where, and Dark Sister is likely with BloodRaven somewhere North of the Wall.  
  
  
After successfully defending against Pullo’s offensive strikes, he moved back signaling me to go on the offensive against him. I tried rushing him with my sword ineffectively waving my blade around like an idiot. Pullo easily parried each attempt and used my own momentum to send me flat on my ass into the dirt.  
  
  
“Is that all you can do?” Pullo said mockingly, “And here I thought Targaryens were the blood of the dragon, and you are no dragon.”  
  
  
All this did was infuriate me and I got up and continued sparring with that annoying sellsword. The more he egged me on with his japes, the more my anger grew.  
  
  
“Focus,” said Pullo. “You cannot hope win by relying on mindless rage. You must channel your range into your attacks to overwhelm your enemy.”  
  
  
In response to this, I tried changing tactics and tried to overwhelm him with a rapid array of attacks. It seemed effective at first as I had gotten him to move a few meters back.  
  
  
“How’s this for a Dragon?” I practically yelled at him.  
  
  
Pullo simply smirked and said, “Now you’re getting it. Focus on destroying my center and cutting off all sides for me to retreat.”  
  
  
I slowly got him to move towards the wall of the training grounds, and just as I thought I had him on the ropes he went on the offensive easily overwhelming me with his attacks.  
  
  
“You’re holding your sparring sword too tightly,” Pullo said.  
  
  
I tried loosening my grip and he disarmed by easily knocking my sword out of my hands and said, “now too lightly.”  
  
  
  
“Very well then that’s enough training for today. You did well compared to how you fared on your first day of training,” said Pullo.  
  
  
“Regardless I am still a terrible fighter,” I said in annoyance with myself for my own inadequacies. I truly was a terrible fighter. I was no Jaime Lannister or Aemon the Dragonknight. Thanks to years of starvation and poor nutrition in Essos, Viserys wasn’t the most physically capable people in Westeros. While I had tried to improve this body with rigorous training regimens that begin at the crack of dawn, it still isn’t enough. Frankly I don’t think I will be able to get into thickest of the fighting when I lead men on the field as King.  
  
  
“Relax and do not worry, Pullo said. “Soon we’ll make a proper terror out of you young Dominus.”  
  
  
“I am a middling swordsman at best,” I said with a sigh of exasperation.  
  
  
Pullo gave me a reassuring smile and said, “better to be a middling swordsman than no swordsman at all.”  
  
  
“There you are wrong,” I said curtly. “The graveyards are full of middling swordsman. Better to be no swordsman at all than a middling swordsman. Perhaps I should quit this pointless exertion of myself altogether and focus on scholarly pursuits.”  
  
  
“You rate yourself too poorly young Dominus,” Pullo said as he patted my back. “Though your swordsmanship may be lacking, you are quite good with a crossbow.”  
  
  
“Perhaps he had a point,” I thought to myself. Perhaps if I couldn’t be a warrior King due to my physical inadequacies then maybe I can still command troops from the rear. Perhaps I can serve as a symbol to my men. Lots of commanders did this in history anyway.  
  
  
“Pullo why do you keep referring to me as Dominus?” I asked him. The name made me uncomfortable as it’s basically the Latin word for slave master.  
  
  
“It makes me uncomfortable when you use that word to address me. I thought I told you to call me Viserys.”  
  
  
“Well young Domin…I mean Prince Viserys, its proper form to address highborns in Volantis and the Free Cities as Dominus,” he said to me.  
  
  
“Doesn’t Dominus mean slave master?” I asked, “I am not slaver, and you are not a slave are you?”  
  
  
“In cities like Volantis Your Grace, its powerful elites are typically the largest slave owners. The term Dominus was adopted from the Old Dragonlords of Valyria who were the masters of men both free and enslaved,” he said to me.  
  
  
To be honest I was actually surprised by the stuff from this version of Planetos. The cannon of this world seems to be a cross between that of show cannon and book cannon. One thing that I did not expect was that the High Valyrian Language and its emerging Low Valyrian variant dialects were essentially just Classical Latin and Vulgar Latin. Based on the show’s version of High Valyrian, I thought it would resemble something like Greek. To my surprise the Common Tongue that I normally spoke in was just plain English like in the show. Initially when I arrived here, I thought that the Common Tongue was something akin to Old English or some sort of archaic Germanic language. Though there were some phrases from the actual cannon that were consistent like, “Valar Morghulis” and “Valar Dohaeris” meaning all men must die and all men must serve.  
  
  
To be honest, I enjoyed Pullo’s company. He was a mercenary hired by Illyrio after I insisted that I learn how to fight in order to be a proper Westerosi King.  
  
  
I basically pestered Illyrio every time I saw him, and eventually he accepted my proposal and likely plans to use these sorts of things to keep me distracted from his machinations. I’m sure he is grooming me to be some sort of distraction to destabilize Westeros, or to be a potential key asset in getting Aegon VI seated atop the Iron Throne.  
  
  
The problem is that I truly do not know if Aegon is indeed my nephew, some rival claimant from Maegor Brightflame’s line, or a Blackfyre from the female line. There were so many theories about Aegon’s true identity all over various forums. Unfortunately I don’t exactly remember the details of each theory and the points supporting it. The remnants of the Old Viserys or OG Viserys as I dubbed him, were banished to my subconscious. That was the only way I was able to fully take control over this body from that royal idiot. I can feel these remnants becoming active especially when I think about the history of the Targaryens and concepts like the right to the throne.  
  
  
Honestly if Aegon VI was indeed my legitimate nephew then I gladly would have renounced my claim to the Iron Throne, and focused on putting him back in power. I don’t know if he’s a filthy Blackfyre which puts me on edge about Illyrio and my future plans to eventually retake the Iron Throne. If indeed in this universe he is in fact Rhaegar’s son, and I were to kill him, that would make me a kinslayer. And there is nothing more accursed in this world than a kinslayer. Not even Roose Bolton or Tywin Lannister dared to cross that line. This would make me worse than them, as I would stoop to their level. Suppose I were to claim the throne before him, or oust him from the throne, this would essentially make me become a usurper myself. I would indeed become the very same type of person whom I despise with every fiber of my being. This is something that I would not ever allow to happen.  
  
  
  
 **297 AC**

 **Viserys’s Personal Study, Pentos**  
  
  
  
I was truly astounded by what I have learned here in Pentos. I tried reading as much as I could about Valyrian history and its laws. In many ways it paralleled Ancient Rome while in some ways it was radically different. Valyria lasted for millennia while all of Roman civilization lasted around 2,000 years if you count from the founding of the city of Rome in 753 BC to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. This was simply unparalleled. No empire in our own history lasted for that long except for Imperial China, but that was followed by cycles of warring states and a unified China. I had started reading books about Pentoshi law which was essentially a variant of Ancient Valyrian Laws. These laws actually resembled stuff like the Twelve Tables of the old Roman Empire with its strict set of rules and clearly defined penalties and punishments for breaking said rules.  
  
  
Though Pentos was essentially a client-state of Braavos, it was still basically a slave based nation. The only difference between Pentos and the other Free Cities was the fact that it changed the word slave in their Constitution to that of indentured servant which they count as part of the population when a census occurs. This only happened because the Pentoshi lost a major war to the Braavosi, and were forced to accept major concessions to the Braavosi like total disarmament and most importantly, the abolition of slavery. Officially the government denounces slavery, but everyone knows that slavery still exists under a different name.  
  
  
I was utterly disgusted by all this hypocrisy, and it made me despise this city. My home is in Westeros, and I longed to leave from this barbaric and foreign land. Still there remains the question of how to proceed. I am utterly at the mercy of the fat man here. I have no real connections or allies, and I’m basically forbidden from leaving this manse to venture outside into the city. Illyrio of course justifies this by saying that this is just a measure for my own protection. The only thing he is protecting me from is becoming independent of his influence.  
  
  
In this manse I am isolated and totally reliant on him for my own protection and survival. If I could just maybe get a message out to Prince Doran Martell then maybe I could renew the betrothal between Princess Arianne that Ser Willem Darry had negotiated, and count on their support for my claim to the Iron Throne. But I have no means to accomplish this within this infernal city. I along with Daenerys are constantly being watched by Illyrio’s servants. I’m sure that Illyrio likely reads any letters or correspondences I send out or receive. Even if I were to find the Dragon Eggs that he gave to Dany as a wedding gift in cannon, I would still be screwed. Illyrio would most certainly find out about this and there would be no way for me to escape the city alive. I could maybe try to entice Pullo, but he was a mercenary who by his nature was unreliable. Why would he risk his life for two children? He might have been amiable to me, but he was still employed by Illyrio who was the Magister of this city. Even if I somehow convinced him to help him aid Dany and I to escape, he could easily kill us and take the eggs and present our heads to the Usurper who would handsomely reward him and maybe give him fief of his own for the deed. In other words I was entirely screwed and this infuriated me. I can actually understand how under this pressure the original Viserys became insane.  
  
  


**Varys I**

  
**297 AC, Varys’s Personal Quarters, Kings Landing**  
  
  
  
The recent developments in Pentos were very interesting to say at the least. Based on his friend Ilyrio’s letters, he learned that Viserys Targaryen had changed quite dramatically. The boy had apparently taken studies like how a fishes takes to water. This seemed to contradict the other reports he received about the boy. His previously violent and arrogant temperament had subsided and been altogether replaced by demeanor that Ilyrio described as both courteous and princely. Varys wondered how such a change in personality occurred in the boy, as up until Illyrio’s last report, he was under the impression that Viserys was set to become the second coming of Aerys “the Mad King.”  
  
  
Illyrio expressed his concerns that Viserys would soon start to become more independent of him after he started asking for training in combat and an education in law and mathematics. Varys advised his friend to grant the boy his requests to keep him occupied, so he becomes less aware of the gilded cage they have built around him. If Viserys continued on his current path, he seemed like he would make a decent ruler since he has seemed to have lost his previous madness and arrogant demeanor in favor of kindness and courtesies especially towards the poor. One instance of this behavior which stuck out to him was when Illyrio recounted how Viserys stated treating his servants better. These were the same people who the boy prince treated with contempt, and refused to let them even make eye contact with him.  
  
  
Varys mused that it was a shame that he was stuck serving under that useless idiot who was Robert Baratheon and that vicious idiot Prince Joffrey. Regardless about how he felt about Prince Viserys, Aegon took precedence. He still saw that there was the possibility of turning Viserys into a key component for Aegon’s ascension to the Iron Throne. Though if Viserys proved to be more of a loose cannon or has outlived his usefulness he could be assassinated to make room for the young Aegon. Another possibility he entertained was to somehow stir enough chaos and disorder in Westeros for Viserys to ascend to the throne only for him to unfortunately “pass away” from unforeseen health issues allowing for his posthumously proclaimed successor Aegon VI to take the throne. “Perhaps Aegon could be married to Arianne Martell to boost his claim,” Varys thought to himself. This match could solidify Aegon’s legitimacy giving House Blackfyre their vengeance.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave any comments or give any constructive criticism below. All feedback is welcome.


	6. Chapter V

**Jaecerys I**

  
**297 AC, Illyrio’s Manse, Pentos**  
  
  
  
“Now boy do you know what your task is,” Illyrio asked him.  
  
  
“Yes. I am to befriend Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys, and spy on them reporting their actions directly to you my Lord,” Jaecerys responded.  
  
  
“Good,” said Illyrio, “now Varys recommended you for your talents in infiltration and eavesdropping. Your past experience as one of Varys’s little birds, will aid you in your next task.”  
  
  
“Yes my Lord,” Jaecerys responded not knowing where Illyrio was going with this. To be honest he himself was quite nervous about his next assignment. He himself had never seen the Prince or Princess and heard varying accounts about him from the servants that Magister Illyrio employed to aid and observe them. Prince Viserys based on their accounts seemed to be a bit mercurial to him. He was reported to have been arrogant and prone to having a temper towards anyone who displeased him. But then suddenly as if flipping a coin, he became more reserved and studious. Jaecerys was also hastily trained in the basics of highborn society here to –  
  
  
“Jaecerys are you listening to me?!” Illyrio asked with a hint of displeasure laced in his tone.  
  
  
Jaecerys interrupted from his thoughts replied, “Y..yes my Lord. You were talking about Lord Varys and the specifics of this task.”  
  
  
Illyrio’s face suddenly darkened and he then stared down Jaecerys stating bluntly, “Do not fail me child, or I shall send you back to streets and slums from which you came. There you will suffer poverty, and never again know the comforts of a warm bed and a roof over your head. Do I make myself clear with you boy,” Illyrio said jabbing his fat finger into his chest.  
  
  
Jaecerys gulped and replied, “Y..yes my Lord. I shall not fail you”  
  
  
Jaecerys was a street urchin as Magister Illyrio described him as. He was born in squalor within the slums of Lys for most of his life. His mother died when he was very young, and he took to working with a gang of thieves in order to avoid starving to death like most of the other orphans around him. He was actually quite good as a thief he had to admit when looking back retrospectively. His small hands, and short stature as a young and malnourished youth, allowed him to I better able to sneak through small nooks and crannies. This made evading guards much easier while also allowing him to pilfer valuables from unsuspecting strangers. This was how he had lived until he made the mistake of stealing from Lord Varys. Jaecerys still remembered how scary this event was for him.  
  
  
It was one day after he was wandering the streets looking for someone to pickpocket that he spotted Lord Varys. On a first glance the Eunuch seemed like an ideal target for such an endeavor. The fat eunuch was dressed in ornate gold-trimmed robes which made him look very out of place for person within the slums of Lys. Jaecerys had thought the man to be some unsuspecting rich nobleman that he could easily pilfer a coin purse from. Men like these were rare within the crime-infested and poverty-stricken slums, and taking a small trinket from any of them would have been enough to feed him for weeks if not a whole month. But the Eunuch was far cleverer than he had anticipated, much unlike the typical aristocrat that he was used to pilfering from. The man possessed a shrewdness that Jaecerys had never seen before, and he remembered the fear he felt when he had caught him by the arm. Instead of trying to run he was paralyzed with fear thinking that he was about to die.  
  
  
But instead of simply killing him, or handing him over the city guards who would have surely executed him, or sold him into slavery as a punishment, the fat eunuch took him in. He was given a warm bed to sleep in for the first time in his life and given a proper hot meal. Jaecerys recalled how Varys had recruited him into becoming one of his “little birds” as he called it. At the time he was more than happy to serve the man out of gratitude for him sparing his life, and taking him into his employ. Varys initially treated him with kindness and had him act as his messenger scurrying across the city gathering information on the most prominent noblemen within the city. His short stature and small hands which allowed him to pilfer gold now allowed him to steal something far more valuable than gold and silver: a man’s secrets. During his service under Lord Varys, he learned how men’s secrets were far more valuable than any mere amount of gold, as their secrets allowed the Eunuch control over seemingly more powerful men who ordinarily would have swatted the Eunuch as though he were a fly. This power of secrets had truly fascinated him, and he was motivated to improve his craft to learn more about this art from Lord Varys and to please the closest thing that Jaecerys had to a father. After all that was how he presented himself to the other children in his employ. With false acts of kindness the spider managed to snare unsuspecting children like him into his web to be used for his own benefit.  
  
  
A few months into his newfound trade, he learned the darker and more sinister aspects of his role as a Little Bird. Jaecerys had noted that the children Varys had him work with never spoke. He had thought them to be mutes, or shy children unused to his presence. He had thought that Lord Varys had simply preferred to recruit mutes into his service so that if they were caught, they wouldn’t divulge his secrets. He was utterly mortified when he found out that the Eunuch actually had ordered the children’s tongues ripped out. Jaecerys feared that this too would have been his own fate had he not been lucky enough to be employed by Magister Illyrio of Pentos. He escape becoming a mute because of his Valyrian features by virtue of him being a Lyseni in origin. Varys had transferred him into the employ of Illyrio to spy on Prince Viserys whom he was close enough in age to, and had a passing resemblance to the Princeling.  
  
  
In preparation for his new role, he was hastily trained in etiquette, High Valyrian the language of the elite, and he was given instructors to help him improve his literacy. While he had some basic knowledge in matters such as counting sums and reading phrases in letters, he received a proper education to help fill in the gaps in his knowledge. Jaecerys was grateful that he now lived in this new and comfortable position away from the gutters and ditches he used to sleep in. He knew however that this was only due to the nature of his new mission, and Jaeherys feared the consequences should he fail to be useful to Magister Ilyrio who would no doubt cast him out on the streets to rot away in squalor.


	7. Chapter VI

Jacaerys II

  
**297 A.C.**   
  
**Taragaryen Manse, Pentos**

  
  
Illyrio’s threats of what the consequences of his failure would be reverberated throughout his head. He would have to earn Prince Viserys’s trust lest he be thrown out onto the streets whence he came. The memories of the years of hardship he had endured resurfaced, and he was determined never again to be in such a low state ever again. In preparation for his introduction to the Prince, he was hastily given an education in combat training so that he could serve as a sparring partner for the Prince. However Jacaerys was no fool and understood that Magister Illyrio’s was hoping that he would be able to build some sort of rapport with the Prince. This would make the Targaryen royals better under the Magister’s control allowing him to use them for whatever nefarious plans he had in mind for them. It would be just like how he himself was a pawn in the games of the Cheesemonger and the Spider.  
  
  
  
Building a friendship with the Prince wasn’t particularly difficult as they both almost naturally warmed up to each other. Jacaerys noted that the Prince had an interest in scholarship and old Valyrian history. While he himself never had fondness for the tales of men who died so long ago, he went along with it, and feigned interest in front of the Prince to better earn his favor. Though he was however fascinated by the old Valyrian laws and texts, and he shared these interests with Prince Viserys. In their shared enthusiasm for this subject Jacaerys felt that they had built something akin to a friendship with each other.  
  
  
  
“A friendship built on lies,” Jacaerys bitterly thought to himself.  
  
  
  
His mind drifted to the subject of the Prince. He was nothing at all like he heard. The way Lord Varys, Magister Illyrio, and some of the other servants described the Prince made him seem like a mercurial and arrogant boy prone to fits of anger and rage. But that was not what Jacaerys saw when he first encountered the Prince. The Prince was studious, courteous, and dedicated to preparing himself for rulership since he technically was the King of that vast Andal realm beyond the Narrow Sea.  
  
“Jacaerys are you alright?” asked Princess Daenerys interrupting from his thoughts.  
  
  
  
“Y…Yes your grace,” he said, startled by the sudden appearance of the Princess.  
  
  
  
“What gave you that idea?” he asked gauging to see if his cover was blown.  
  
  
  
“You look very angry and serious, is something bothering you” the Princess said with concern.  
  
  
  
“No I was just deep in thought about something, it wasn’t anything important,” he said in an attempt to hide his unease from her.  
  
  
  
The Princess smiled as if content with his answer, and pointed to his desk where his quill and paper were out in the open asking much to Jacaerys’ dread, “what is it that you were working on there. Can I see it?”  
  
  
  
Jacaerys felt as if his heart stopped. Inwardly he cursed himself for being so foolish in leaving such sensitive documents outside in the open for anyone to see. Those letters were his reports to the Magister, and his whole life he created for himself was about come crashing down.  
  
  
  
“Princess Daenerys I….um…um…er can explain,” he said scrambling for words for how to explain himself.  
  
  
  
“Oh! You must be working on brother’s nameday celebration!” the Princess said excitedly.  
  
  
  
“Yes!” that’s exactly what I’m working on, but it’s a surprise. You would not want to ruin the surprise would you?” Jacaerys said, hoping that this white lie would work.  
  
  
  
Fortunately the Princess bought his explanation and simply nodded saying “it’ll be our little secret. Big brother Viserys will be so delighted by this surprise.”  
  
Jacaerys was relieved but felt knots in his stomach for lying to the Princess who was so innocent and naïve.  
  
  
  
“Um Jacaerys speaking of Viserys, do you know where he is? I’ve been looking all over for him in the palace,” Daenerys said.  
  
  
  
Jacaerys hastily put away his letters and said “why don’t I help you find him?”  
  
  
  
Daenerys then smiled saying “that would be a wonderful idea.”  
  
  


  
Viserys IV

  
**297 A.C.**   
  
**Targaryen Manse, Pentos**

  
  
In these last few months that I have been training, I have vastly improved in terms of sword fighting. While I’m nowhere near the levels of some legendary or master swordsmen like Jaime Lannister, Arthur Dayne, or Drogo as he was depicted in the show, I was competent enough to hold my own against the average foot soldier. I was neither exceptional nor a particularly unremarkable at this. Simply put I was a middling swordsman, but that was still better than nothing for a man who came from the modern world where these things have long since been abandoned thanks to the advent of firearms. Speaking of firearms, I would need to at least jump start that process once I establish myself somewhere.  
  
Looking into my mirror behind me, I could say that I looked far better physically than what I or at least Viserys started off as. While Viserys was a tall and gangly boy due to his harsh life and malnourishment in Essos, the many months of good nutrition and strenuous exercise I’ve had has really made a difference. And I must say that I look far better than I ever did in my past life, as these magic Valyrian genetics are something else. I still kept the trademark Targaryen good looks, the silvery hair, and purple eyes despite how inbred the Targaryens were. And man am I glad I look like this rather than Carlos II or the Habsburgs. Though unfortunately what we have lack in terms of physical birth defects and other ailments, we more than made up for in terms of low fertility and a particular proclivity towards insanity and psychosis. Its what doomed my no….er Viserys’s father King Aerys II in the end, well that and his...our brother.  
  
I don’t know why I keep doing that. The more time I spend in this body, the more my mind becomes intertwined with whatever fragments from Viserys’s broken mind that remained. Things like his memories and mannerisms were all open to me, so I was able to near effortlessly fake that I was Viserys Targaryen Third of my...no his name rightful King of Andals, Rhoynar, First Men, and Lord and ….. I don’t want to list every possible title he has right now. My memories and experiences from my previous life are sometimes becoming muted as I find it harder to recall certain things from my previous life. I’m honestly quite terrified of losing my memories, my personality, and well everything that makes me whole. Thanks to some weird ROB shenanigans I’m trapped here in this medieval hellhole that’s barely a step above being classified as grim-dark.  
  
When my mind drifts to thoughts of my family, I feel genuine sadness, as I know I’m never going to see them again. I often found myself unable to sleep wondering how my family took to the news that I was dead. After all I never really got to say goodbye to my siblings and parents, and my heart aches when I think about what sort of pain and grief they must be suffering with right now. This is the sad and bitter truth about being a self-insert. Many nights I would sit and read some fics in the A Song of Ice and Fire universe and I would always wonder what it would have been like had I been placed inside my favorite works of fiction. I often imagined this whole experience as a sort of power fantasy where I would magically centralize the Kingdoms, but now I’m here and I’m in utter despair. The sad and grim reality of being “self-inserted” into this world is that it sucks. I’m never going to see my family again, and I’m stuck here in this foreign and barbarian world where the whole deck is stacked against me.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello dear readers,  
> Welcome to my other ASOIAF fic I Viserys. This is my other Targaryen Self Insert fic with the other being Let Madness Reign. I'm cross-posting this fic here from other sites like FFN, AH, and SV.
> 
> The structure of the prologue is written as through as it were a historical timeline. This fic originally started off as a historical timeline after the fact. The structure of this prologue is written from the perspective of a Targaryen revisionist historian. Though this timeline was scrapped and was reconstituted as this fic which I found more fun to write as its in a more narrative fashion.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy reading this. Please feel free to comment below; I'd love to hear your thoughts on this fic.
> 
> Regards,  
> @Basileus_Komnenos


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